We will begin this time with a sheaf of composers who
wrote mood music for De Wolfe's Recorded Music Library in the 1950s, listing
their names with a sample of their work: Ivor Osborne (Around
the Town; On the Humorous Side); Adrian Ludlow (Twinkle
Toes); Frank Spencer (Two on the Tiles); and Hilary
Stephens (Monkey Business).

Douglas MacDonald Stewart, born in 1892, composed
mainly songs which were popular in the inter-war period. Some of them
were serious, especially his Herrick settings, but others were ballads
or verged on balladry: Our Nell, Night, A Lawsuit, Through the Fields
in Summer, Rising Storm and Phantoms.

Graham Dudley Whettam, born in 1927, largely self-taught,
is reckoned a serious composer despite the accessibility of much of his
work but he has written film music, pieces for children and an overture
Demon Hunter of the Moor. Further, he wrote mood music miniatures,
like Silver Slipper, for De Wolfe's Recorded Music Library, under
the name Howard Woodstock.

Gavin Sutherland, born in County Durham, still
only around 30 (he graduated from Huddersfield University as recently
as 1993) is perhaps better known as a conductor, especially for the ballet
but also in the concert hall and on CD - for ASV in ‘British Light Music
Discoveries’ and for the Carry On music - than as a composer, but
his compositions and arrangements are quite widely heard. Recently he
re-arranged Giselle for Norwegian National Ballet and his musical
Little Women (after Louisa M Allcott) was staged in London in July
2000.

David Golightly, also Durham-born and now resident
in Cheshire, is basically a serious, sometimes "tough", composer. More
accessible is his 1st Symphony (2000), inspired by a Premiership
football team. It is similar in idiom to, say, George Lloyd. He has however
written substantially for the theatre (e.g. The Glass Menagerie
and Cider With Rosie) and films (Out of the Depths, I'm
no Angel). His orchestral pieces include the attractive Three Seascapes,
each based on a popular sea shanty.

Finally, a mention for two organists, Charles Smart
and his son Harold, both frequent broadcasters either side of the
Second War. Both arranged and composed prolifically; one of Harold Smart's
pieces being entitled Father's Doing Fine!

Philip L Scowcroft

November 2000

Enquiries to Philip at

8 Rowan Mount

DONCASTER

S YORKS DN2 5PJ

Philip's book 'British Light Music Composers' (ISBN 0903413 88 4) is
currently out of print.

E-mail enquiries (but NOT orders) can be directed to Rob Barnett
at rob.barnett1@btinternet.com